The vegetable garden that connects

31 May 2023 Other news

Within the sustainability committee of the Faculty of Social Sciences, an initiative was born to establish a faculty vegetable garden that would bring students and staff together. This idea had already been in motion within the university, and that's how Eric Fleischer, a Psychology student and member of the sustainability committee of Social Sciences, got involved in the university's community garden project. He tells us how plans were quickly made to shape this project.

The plot of land next to the Hortus, behind the botanical gardens, was made available for this purpose. A layout was drawn up to determine which vegetables and flowers would be grown. This choice was based on a planting calendar, taking into account which crops would thrive when planted together.

In October 2022, the garden project team began their initial tasks, such as laying out paths and planting flower bulbs. During the winter months, less work was done in the garden, but the first workdays were scheduled for February and March. Employees and students were invited to get involved in the "community garden" through the university newsletter and could sign up for a Teams channel.

Medewerkers en studenten graven in een moestuin

Workdays

During the workdays, various facilities were established, including benches and planters made from old pallets, as well as the installation of water drainage. The garden steadily grew, and a variety of crops were planted, such as strawberries, lettuce, zucchinis, a herb spiral, and beans. Participants in the workdays also had the opportunity to sow seedlings, both for the university garden and for personal use.

Lunching in the garden

To further strengthen the community, lunches will soon be organized where people can come together and enjoy the garden. "In about a month, we'll be able to pick the strawberries, and how wonderful would it be to sit outside together and savor the garden," says Eric. These community lunches will hopefully continue until the summer vacation.

After the summer, the harvest season begins. The idea of a harvest party is still in its infancy, but the community aims to organize a potluck-style event, where everyone brings something to share and also utilizes the produce from the garden. This allows everyone to enjoy the harvest and make the most of the garden together.

Joining the community

Eric says, "The idea of starting a community garden was to bring students and staff together. The garden also promotes well-being since we spend a lot of time indoors studying or working, and now we can be outside, getting green thumb."

If you're interested in participating, feel free to join the Teams channel. Various activities will be communicated there in due course.

Join the Teams channel

Contact information

Organizational unit: Faculty of Social Sciences